Felixstowe Ferry Golf Club

"I have been a member of Felixstowe Ferry GC for 25 years and the General Manager for the past 3 years. With a successful managerial career in the Transport sector, I had only limited knowledge of the Leisure / Golf Industry, so I knew I needed some help to make the transition. I quickly joined the GCMA and enrolled onto an Introduction to Golf Club Management course in Harrogate. This was without doubt the best decision I made at the outset.

One of the first sessions was with Jerry Kilby on the Governance and Planning within Golf Clubs. With Food & Beveridge, Course Management and marketing all on the agenda for later in the day(s), this was not necessarily the session I thought would be the most interesting. However I was wrong, as this session proved to be the most important and thought provoking session of the entire course and turned out to be the foundation on which our Club based a vital turnaround in its current status and future survival.

Like many Clubs our Club was facing a declining Membership and ageing Clubhouse facilities. The Club had suffered with the “quick” turnaround of Directors term of between 1 and 3 years and no long term plan or strategy – other than to survive.

I was fortunate that the new Board of Directors were open to changing the mould and finding a better / long term solution. I had worked with strategic plans in my previous career but how to make this work within a Private Golf Club again presented a new challenge. So I made contact with Jerry and he kindly agreed to help both myself and the Board through this process both in terms of the Governance of the Club and also in the preparation of a Strategic Plan.    That was back in 2017.

Roll forward 3 years and we now have a well-functioning Board of Directors, a vastly increased and dare I say it happy membership and are just in the final stages of gaining Planning Permission for a brand new Clubhouse which will not only provide Members with the facilities that they crave but also forge much closer links with the local community via a Café, Function room, Putting Green and Viewing Platform. These latter facilities are also providing much needed additional income streams to safeguard the future of the Club into the 21st Century.

This turnaround was guided by the Strategic Plan and provided the opportunity for the Board to look much further forward than their immediate term of Office and into the future. Without the help and guidance from the GCMA and most importantly Jerry, this would not have been possible."

David Spencer, General Manager, Felixstowe Ferry Golf Club

 

Tony Jacklin CBE

"I first met Jerry Kilby when he was Marketing Manager of the British PGA, and part of the backroom team that was working on the 1989 Ryder Cup matches at The Belfry.

Since then, we have met on a number of other occasions over the years. I spent a considerable amount of time in his company when he was General Manager of the Nad Al Sheba Club in Dubai in 2003. I always found him to be a perfect gentleman and a very accomplished General Manager.

He has a great reputation amongst his peers. Jerry has had an extremely successful career that spanned many years in the golf business.  I would have no hesitation in recommending him."

 

Peter Alliss

"From the world of golf I have known Jerry Kilby for many years and have found him to be totally trustworthy in all of his business dealings.  I have no hesitation in recommending him."

 

Richard Hills, Managing Director Ryder Cup Ltd.

"I have known Jerry Kilby for many years and in my opinion is considered honest, hard working and trustworthy with an ability to get on with people from many walks of life with confidence and with a personable demeanour."

 

Thomas M. L. Lee, President, Malaysian Golf Association

"Jerry Kilby was the tournament director of our Malaysian Open Golf tournament for four years from 1995 to 1998.  He was hired specially for the event.  The Malaysian Open is a professional golf tournament with more than 40 years of history, participated in by golfers from all over the world.  Famous names such as Vijay Singh, Michael Campbell, John Daly, Colin Montgomerie and Padraig Harrington, just to name a few, have played on the event.

As tournament director, Jerry Kilby performed his role most competently and all his four tournaments were completed without any problems and to the satisfaction of everyone."

 

Anthony Reynolds, Executive Chef, Six Senses Spa, Phuket

"Jerry Kilby has been a friend and professional colleague for many years.  Prior to his joining Nad Al Sheba Club in Dubai I knew him through his various activities with the PGA and his own company in the UK.

Even then I was impressed with Jerry’s integrity and professionalism.  His depth of knowledge of golf, and the range of contacts he enjoys in the golfing industry are almost unique.  I was delighted when he bought those attributed to Dubai, where he continued to further his excellent reputation among the golfiJerry Kilby has been a friend and professional colleague for many years.  Prior to his joining Nad Al Sheba Club in Dubai I knew him through his various activities with the PGA and his own company in the UK.

Even then I was impressed with Jerry’s integrity and professionalism.  His depth of knowledge of golf, and the range of contacts he enjoys in the golfing industry are almost unique.  I was delighted when he bought those attributed to Dubai, where he continued to further his excellent reputation among the golfing fraternity.ng fraternity.

As General Manager of Nad Al Sheba Club, Jerry raised the profile of the club through a whole range of improvements in service, extensions to the facilities, and a major renovation to the clubhouse. In addition, his contribution to the operation of the horseracing element of the club was significant."